Posts Tagged ‘Racism’

Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe penned an op-ed titled “If you don’t rent to criminals, are you a racist?” It points out yet another grotesque example of governmental overreach that not only infringes on rental property owners’ rights, but also will ultimately lead to negative consequences for a broad spectrum of renters.

Last week the Obama administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development warned/threatened landlords about refusing to rent to individuals with criminal records. They \ justified this overreach by stretching the intent of The Fair Housing Act that makes it illegal to discriminate on the sale or renting of housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin. HUD’s guidance states: “Because of widespread racial and ethnic disparities in the US criminal justice system criminal history-based restrictions on access to housing are likely disproportionately to burden African Americans and Hispanics. . . . [T]herefore such a practice would violate the Fair Housing Act.”

This is an incredible stretch of executive branch authority and another example of a laws reasonable intent being distorted by unelected bureaucrats. It was never intended that The Fair Housing Act would protect convicted criminals. Using HUD’s logic there are a myriad of federal agencies from the CIA to the Secret Service whose actions are racist. If there is a problem with the criminal justice system, then it is the Congress’s and the Justice Department’s responsibility to fix the defects.

As Jacoby points out, people who rent housing not only desire reasonable rental fees, but also want clean and safe environments. These renters’ neighbors are chosen by landlords who they hope will choose wisely. In a free market a landlord is most likely to achieve profits by offering desirable living spaces. While property upkeep is an important part of this formula, so are the clientele who become renters and renters’ neighbors. Should this include unrepentant individuals with criminal records, with the record showing a high recidivism rate for criminals, as the song goes, “there goes the neighborhood”.

In the short run HUD’s actions might assist some with criminal records having greater access to housing. In the longer run, however, a broad spectrum of renters will be hurt as landlords not only relax standards as to who they will rent to, but also likely have less concern for property upkeep. The result will be increased blight in the inner cities, adding to the mess created in most large cities by governmental overreach and social engineering.

While HUD’s action is ill-conceived, there may be a more insidious motivation to it. Grand governmental interventions often modify the discussion allowing deflection of the real issues facing America’s inner cities. This includes the disintegrating education systems, increased unemployment rates especially among minorities, growing crime, and civil dissatisfaction that have been increasing in recent decades. If you are a Progressive, you are likely to blame those with more conservative views, i.e. Republicans. However, most large American cities have been run by liberal Democrats for decades. It is therefore more likely that Progressive social engineering is at the heart of the failings. Forcing landlords to rent to those with criminal records will not positively impact one of these root causes.

Democratic politicians use the gender and race cards to further their political aspirations. This has divided the Country into “warring” factions and significantly hindered America’s social progress and economic growth.

“If the Republicans win, we’ll all lose. They want to roll back the clock on civil rights. They want to make it harder for African-Americans to vote — not easier. And they’ve got no plan to deal with gun violence or any of the issues we’re facing in our communities.”

Incredibly, this same Eric Holder refused to review the case of voter intimidation against the New Black Panther Party in 2009. The same man, supposedly a champion of the underprivileged, played a key role in Pres. Bill Clinton’s pardon of wealthy financier Marc Rich.

As a chief law enforcement officer of the United States, Holder was cited for criminal contempt by the Congress for withholding documents relating to the fiasco called “Fast and Furious”. This vote included 17 Democratic Congressman making it a bipartisan vote.

There are many dubious legacies left to the American people by Barack Obama. Certainly a disastrous foreign policy will be in the forefront. Not far behind will be a disintegration of race relations in America caused by the President and his party’s lust for power. This legacy has a champion and it is Eric Holder.

Melissa Harris-Perry has been known for rather questionable logic in her position as a MSNBC commentator. This week she took her rants to a new level accusing the new Star Wars movie, “The Force Awakens” and the entire Star Wars franchise of promoting racism. It is impossible to reasonably comment on Harris-Perry’s logic proffered in the video clip below, other than to say “yikes”!

One of the best players in the National Football League is Seattle Seahawk’s Richard Sherman. This brash-talking, hard-hitting defensive back is feared throughout the league by opposing teams.

Sherman is a wonderful American success story. Coming from a disadvantaged background, he went on to attend Stanford University where he was a star football player and obtained a great education. He parlayed this into success in the NFL.

Recently, Black Lives Matter activists King Noble used an unauthorized photograph of Sherman, adding to it a violent and racist message: “When are we gon Kill These KKKracka Bro.” Sherman was livid and his response unequivocal, posting a response included below. It is disappointing that President Obama is not as clear in his related statements to the American people.

Sherman’s post:

I did not believe this when I heard about it. I watched your videos. I started a life in the gehto [sic]. I banged like a fool till I woke up. I was not suppressed by any man or woman, white or black.

I worked myself up from Compton High School to a scholarship at Standford University and I did it myself. I take pride in what I have accomplished both as a black man, and an athlete. I could have stayed in LA and banged and used drugs and thought that it was all the white mans fault [sic]. But that would be a lie. We are who we want to be, that is what is great about america [sic]. We are all born with the same chances in life..white or black…YOU choose to be a woman-abusing racist loudmouth. I would love to debate you on national tv [sic]. And if you condone senseless black shootings of whites and police officers, you better make that a debate on Springer, so I can bitchslap your ignorant ass!

You are what is keeping and making the black race look bad. Wake up fool. Do not glorify this half a man, he has worked for nothing. He chose to keep himself where he is, not the white people. It is time to take responsibility for your own actions, and not act like a stinking fool. Kids and young black men and women look at this site, and believe that they are abused. That is a bold-faced lie. It is out of the mouths of cheap thugs like you that are hurting our young and taking away the chances they have to make themselves a productive part of society. Brothers and sisters: the only slavery in america now is the one you put yourself into Rise up like Doctor King as taught us, and be a real human being [sic]. We are all in this together white and black. Peace to all and I hope this stupid fake hate stops real soon. We are all brothers and sisters. Do not be fooled by the tyranny of evil men like this lift yourself up educate yourselves and work hard for a good life [sic]. No one owes you anything stand proud as a person of color , and do something meaningful with your life [sic]. I did and I am the best at what I do! Peace out, R Sherman.”

Barack Obama was elected president with high expectations, to a great extent based on his first election’s theme, “hope and change”. Perhaps in no area were expectations higher than in race relations in. America elected not only its first African-American president, but also a person from a blended family with his father being African and mother Caucasian.

Instead of meeting the potential, race relations in the United States have deteriorated since Obama’s first moderation. This can be attributed to the politics of divisive used by the radical Left and this President to gin up their political base. It divided people by sexual orientation, income bracket, immigrant status, and yes race.

The President inappropriately interjected himself in local actions where race could be discussed since early in his first term. First, this included making televised national comments concerning the arrest of Prof. Gates by local police for disturbing the peace, even before as Obama admitted, he knew the facts. He then interjected himself into the Travon Martin shooting, even though it became evident that the shooting was not racially motivated. Then, Obama and Attorney General Holder not only inferred that the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson was racially motivated, but that the police officer involved was guilty of a crime. Both assertions were false as determined by Obama’s own Justice Department and a grand jury true. The often promoted theme of “hands up, don’t shoot” was also prove to be a fabrication. Still, there has been no admission of error by Obama.

As a result of the increasing racial divide, outward expression of violence in America is increasing. In Ferguson, Missouri, the rioting was devastating to the local community. In Baltimore, Maryland, rioting was even more extensive since the death of Freddie Gray with the murder rate of African-Americans in that community since skyrocketing.

A non-surprising outgrowth of this growing racial divide is the Black Lives Matter movement that infers police and much of America do not value African-American lives. With this type of outrageous rhetoric, it is no wonder violence is increasing. That begs the question; who is benefiting from the increasing racial divide? Certainly not the greater African-American community. Not the police. And not middle America. The ones that benefit are the bosses on the radical Left, which includes Barrack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. Shame on those elitists that seek personal gain on the backs of the suffering of those less fortunate.

Now the racially-based violence is morphing with police being in the crosshairs. This past weekend Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth was murdered by an African-American merely because he was a police officer. Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman correctly called this an execution and blamed the shooting on the vitriolic rhetoric on race. (see video below)

Fellow Sheriff, African-American David Clarke, blames the White House for the increasing violence against police officers stating: “I said last December that war had been declared against the American police officer, led by some high-profile people. One of them coming out of the White House, another one coming out of the U.S. Department of Justice. And it’s open season right now, no doubt about it.”

It is difficult to place the genie back in the bottle once a cycle of violence based on preconceived notions takes hold in society. President Obama is one of the few people who could have a significant positive effect on this issue. Unfortunately, he has shown little willingness to admit error or place the Country’s overall good before his own political well-being.

After last week’s tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, significant focus has been on Confederate Flag often visible in the South. Many have expressed the strong opinion that the flag should be removed from both public and private venues. While this Blog believes the Confederate Flag can be divisive, attacking inanimate objects and denigrating freedom of speech is a slippery slope that has potential negative consequences that far outstripped potential benefits.

Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young has impeccable Civil Rights credentials including marching with Dr. Martin Luther King. He points out in the video below that; “The problems we face don’t have anything to do with the flag. The fact is that 93 percent of the black people killed are killed by other black people. So if black lives matter, let us start believing that we matter.” Look for Mr. Young to be attacked by Progressives for not towing the Leftists line.

Today’s society often deflects from addressing complex problems. When faced with significant challenges, society may seek simple solutions that include attacking symbols, rather than addressing underlying causes for the problems. A high profile murder likely leads to the opportunity to promote gun-control. The death of an African-American at the hands of the police will lead to an indictment of the entire police force. A racist attack, such as occurred in Charleston, focuses on the Confederate Flag. Similar to any of these simplistic solutions, banning the Confederate Flag will not eliminate racism.

Ambassador Andrew Young is to be commended for his desire to seek real solutions to social problems that affect various parts of our society. President Obama would do well to bring in clear-thinking people like Young to his cabinet instead of the divisive radicals he has often brought into his Administration.

It is difficult to contemplate even the smallest sign of something positive coming from last week’s tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina when a despicable human being, a racist, entered a church and killed nine innocents of African-American descent because of the color of their skin. Yet there are some green shoots rising from the carnage, as expressed by Anthony Van Jones who said when interviewed by CNN’s Jake Tapper:

“The white community here is as heartbroken as the black community is here. If they can come together here, if they can reach out to each other here, they can show justice and love and support here, then why can’t we do that in Washington, D.C., and across the country where, frankly, the reasons for the divisions are harder to understand. Here you can understand division. There’s none. There’s none. So something is happening here in Charleston, and I’m proud that we’re showing it.

You have an ideology of hatred and an ideology of love. An ideology of blame that is about racial hatred — we have to say that. But we also have ideology right here behind us of racial reconciliation. You can’t appreciate the beauty of what you have behind you right now until you really name the hatred and the evil that happened just right behind us a few days ago. It’s the ability to talk about both that gives us the ability to find meaning and to move forward truly together.

Those leaders in the country, both parties of all races who don’t want to deal with both — the fact of the racial hatred, but also the potential for racial reconciliation — I think are letting the country down. But people on the street — white people on the street here — are showing more courage and more leadership and more honesty than I’ve seen in the halls of Washington, D.C., and they need to be given respect for that and hopefully we can take this spirit forward.”

While this Blog rarely agrees with Van Jones who veers strongly to the Left, his eloquent words concerning the aftermath of the Charleston tragedy are eloquent and from his heart. The Country’s leadership in Washington could say it no better.

Today, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from that state’s Capitol grounds. This is an appropriate gesture for the victims of the racist attack in that state. Gov. Haley is to be congratulated for taking this direct response which certainly will be appreciated by the African-American community and others in the state.

Why is it that the good people of Charleston of all colors have responded so gracefully to an unfathomable tragedy? Why is their reaction so different from Ferguson, MO and Baltimore, MD to their challenges? These questions are significant, but must be sidelined until the victims can be appropriately mourned.

Last year’s shooting in Ferguson, Missouri of African-American Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson lea to protests, some violent, in Ferguson and other cities. The protests were based on the narrative that Brown was an innocent who was shot by Wilson because of his skin color. This narrative was taken to an emotional height by the often repeated chant, “hands up, don’t shoot”, supposedly sad by Brown before he was shot. The narrative and chant were completely false, as confirmed by Eric Holder’s Justice Department who recently refused to press Civil Rights charges against Wilson and confirmed that the supposed “hands up don’t shoot” appeal never occurred. It further found Officer Wilson’s testimony to be credible.

Given the Justice Department’s findings on Ferguson it is reasonable to expect retractions and apologies from those politicians and the media that promoted the false narrative. But reason is not a strong suit of radicals on the Left or Right. In this case, the lack of reason runs all the way up to the President himself.

Earlier this week, Sean Hannity interviewed two African Americans concerning the Ferguson events, Civil Rights attorney Leo Terrell and columnist Deroy Murdock. Murdock expressed concern about the manner in which President Obama and AG Holder politicized the tragedy. Hannity went further criticizing the President for not only jumping to conclusions before having the facts, but also coming to the wrong conclusions concerning the Cambridge police/Professor Gates, Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown matters, in all cases incorrectly concluding that racism was involved.

Terrell disagreed with Hannity and Murdock with an emotional outburst included in the video below that bordered on irrational. Instead of debating the issues Terrell personally attacked Murdock in a condescending tone. This is an often used tactic by the Left who instead of debating issues demonize opponents to sniffle intelligent debate.

As for the Justice Department, instead of admitting that Eric Holder initially wrongfully concluded that Brown was the victim of racism, changed the goal posts. Holder, in announcing the DOJ’s findings that vindicated Wilson, justified those who lied about the incident based on Ferguson’s more general history of racism. However, that does not explain why Holder and Obama initially agreed with the false narrative in a very public fashion.

Unlike Holder and Obama who remain silent relating to their errors, local politicos in Ferguson have not. Since the DOJ’s damming report of general racism by some in the Ferguson police department, its chief has resigned. But that has not mollified some. Last night’s protests in Ferguson included the shooting of two police officers. The lack of appropriate condemnation of the riots after the Brown shooting by Obama, Holder and others, as well as the promotion of the false narrative concerning the Brown shooting, created an atmosphere that ferments violence. It will be hard to put this genie back in the bottle and the blame law squarely in the hands of Obama, Holder and others that have created divisions in the Country to further their own agendas.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was on CBS’s Face the Nation last weekend hosted by Major Garrett who attempted to trap Giuliani with a difficult question. Garrett asked if Giuliani wanted to take back his comments that President Obama fostered an atmosphere of “hating American police”? Giuliani responded “not at all” and further stated: “If you would like to have a poster boy for hating the police, It’s Al Sharpton. You make Al Sharpton a close adviser, you are going to turn the police in America against you.”

Giuliani correctly concluded “actions speak louder than words“. The President, the current mayor of New York, and others on the Left have used the unfortunate incidents that led to the deaths of individuals in Ferguson Missouri and New York City to gin up their political base and radical elements within it. While they may have obtained short-term political gain as a result, the damage to the Country is significant and long-term.

There are those on the Left who would vehemently argue that the anti-police rhetoric espoused by some of their politicians has not been responsible in any way for the sad state current relations race in the United States. To that, this Blog asks a rhetorical question: Six years ago this Country took historic step of electing its first African-American president. What responsibility does this President have in the deteriorated race relations since? As Obama said some six years ago, words have meaning.

Two of The View’s host, Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie O’Donnell, had a telling debate concerning race and racism during a show last week. Goldberg expressed the reasonable position that sometimes actions are taken due to a lack of intelligence, not racially motivated, stating “dumb folks who just say dumb stuff because they’re not looking or paying attention to the person they’re talking to.” She was referring to comments made last week by the President and his wife that at times they were treated like common workers, instead of the President and First Lady, inferring that race was a reason.

Rosie would have none of Whoopi’s logic, inferring that race is always the cause of such behavior. That led to Whoopi claiming that Rosie’s skin color precluded here from truly understanding racism to which Rosie angrily retorted that her related skills were honed by her sexual proclivities and the fact that she adopted a black child.

The Video below is evidence that the Left’s use of race baiting against its political and philosophical appointments is spreading to even some of its allies. Sure getting ugly out there. Once the issue of race is raised, open and intellectual discussion is typically the victim.